Truth Behind the Lies
by LadyKrobley
Summary: Hermione needs to escape London. She decides to go to Australia, using her parents as an excuse. Who she finds there may change her life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters belong to me.

I attempting to write a new story. I need feedback before continuing with this story. This will be on the back burner until I finish my first story, but I will definitely still update this as well. :-)

Read and Review

xxLK

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**Chapter 1**

Hermione stood there next to her two best friends, Ron and Harry, watching as their former Professor, Severus Snape, pulled out his memories and put them in a vial. She didn't know what to think of the occurrence. She only knew, at that point, she wanted to help her Professor, but she hadn't a clue on how to heal someone. All she could do was watch as he handed the vile to Harry and took, what looked like, his last breath.

Hermione knew there was nothing she could do now. She let out a single tear before she turned around and began following Harry and Ron back to Hogwarts before they could get caught by anyone.

They walked together in silence as they reached the Headmaster's courters. Harry brought out the pensive and poured the memories out of the vile. All three of them placed their heads inside, and they watched the memories of their late professor. They were astounded by the role he had played in the war. The courageous sacrifices he had made in order to protect Harry and even Draco.

Hermione seemed to have become fonder of Professor Snape. She felt foolish for misjudging him so badly. She had thought she was an excellent judge of character, but she was sorely proven wrong with her inarticulate judgments of Severus Snape. He had fooled them all.

They walked outside of the castle, knowing now what role Harry had to play in the war. That Harry had to die to save them all from Voldemort's reign of terror. Hermione had begun to tear up. "Let me come with you," she exclaimed as Harry was walking and she ran up to Harry and pulled him into a tight embrace, hoping maybe he wouldn't go, but she knew that it was foolish to think like that. Harry was willing to do anything, if it were to save everyone he loved.

"No. Hermione," he spoke almost begrudgingly. "I have to do this alone."

Harry pulled Hermione off of him before he looked at them with a distressed expression and then he walked away without another word uttered between the three of them. Ron pulled Hermione into him and they wept together knowing the fate of their best friend.

The battle between the Order and the Death Eaters raged on as Harry was meeting his fate with Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Hermione was on the steps in front of the Hogwarts entrance when she was Hagrid carrying Harry in his arms, sobbing.

She did her best to keep from falling to her knees and crying after seeing her friend's lifeless body in the arms of another. She heard Ginny's screams for Harry and saw Arthur Weasley hold his daughter back.

Voldemort started to speak, and out of the corner of Hermione's eye she saw Draco Malfoy standing beside her and she saw the tears threatening to spill over his dirt-streaked face. Snape had popped in her mind the moment she saw him. She judged Snape so poorly. What if she had been wrong about Malfoy as well? Were there stories that were written in the dark, hidden from the public eye? Secrets about his life that was untold to others? She didn't know what to believe anymore. All the truths that she grew up to believe were lies, and it was hard to believe anything anymore.

Voldemort had noticed Draco in the crowd on the front steps and told him to come join them again. Hermione could see the hesitation in his steps. She looked into the crowd of Death Eaters and saw that his parents had the arms forward beckoning him to come to them. She could see the anguish and worry in their eyes. Hermione wanted to give the Malfoy's benefit of the doubt, but she didn't know how to proceed with that notion in mind. She could see that they only wanted their son, but whether they still believed in the Pureblood Supremacy was another story all together.

There was this silence that dawned around the castle but that silence was challenged as soon as Neville Longbottom came from a hidden crevice with the Sword of Gryffindor in hand. He rushed towards Nagini and the sword sliced through the head of the snake, killing the last Horcrux of Lord Voldemort.

Before Voldemort could respond with the Killing Curse aimed at Neville, Harry had risen and the battle of Good vs. Evil had begun. Many Death Eaters had fled the castle; others stayed and fought with Lord Voldemort to help finish off the Order. Hermione looked around after throwing a curse at a Death Eater and saw the Malfoys walk away, hugging each other in the process. They walked toward the confines of the castle and away from the fighting.

Everyone had stopped fighting as Voldemort and Harry were beginning to get to the final blows. They all stood there and watched as Harry threw the final blow to Voldemort. He died there on the ground. Harry had destroyed the evil entity that had surrounded the Wizarding World for years. It was finally over, and the moment was bittersweet.

The glory of the win didn't last long after they began to tally up all the deaths that occurred during the battle.

George had lost his twin, and the Weasley's lost a brother and a son. Teddy Lupin lost both his parents, and Harry lost another person that was part of his parent's lives. Hermione lost her parents to a memory charm; she wasn't even sure that it was reversible. So much death surrounded them and it was beginning to become unbearable.

Everyone stood quiet as Harry stood up on the raised platform where the Professors of Hogwarts had once eaten at. Harry thanked everyone for their participation and grieved loses of the departed. In Harry's longwinded speech he also explained Severus Snape's role during the war, this had redeemed the professor, and he became known as the bravest man to live.

In the course of a few days, Hermione had been to eight funerals and to a few ceremonies recognising the survivors and the deceased for their acts of bravery.

She was now attending the funeral of Severus Snape. It took so long to have one for him because they went on this huge manhunt for his body. It remained missing and they decided to have a funeral anyway. Hermione didn't want to attend this one. She knew that she would be a ball of tears, and she knew she couldn't handle it very well.

The day before the Weasley's had to bury Fred. Very few of them had decided to show up for this funeral. She saw Arthur, Bill, and Ginny accompanied by Harry attending Snape's funeral. They were sitting so close to the front, and she didn't want to be that close.

Hermione found herself sitting further in the back. She hadn't realised that she wasn't the only one with this idea in mind. She wounded up sitting beside the family with platinum blonde hair. She turned to her left and locked eyes with Draco Malfoy. Hermione sent a curt nod his direction, and he gave her a small nod before returning his gaze back to the front.

She was a little confused when she noticed them, but she remembered that Snape had made the unbreakable vow in order to protect Draco from having to kill Dumbledore – another act of bravery from her professor.

Tears were streaming down the face of the bushy-haired Gryffindor for the late Slytherin professor as Harry had begun his speech describing Snape's bravery and the sacrifices he had endured to be a spy for both side, but having aligning his alliance with Dumbledore.

Hermione couldn't believe she felt so much heartache with the death of her former professor. She felt someone grab her shoulders and give it a tight squeeze for comfort. She looked up and saw Narcissa Malfoy looking down at her with a lone tear streaking her delicate face. She didn't know how to respond at first, but then she gave the older woman a weak, watery smile.

She couldn't believe a Malfoy had shown empathy with her. Did she realise know who she was comforting or did she not care? Hermione asked these questions in her head as Narcissa had decided to sit beside her. She grabbed Hermione's hand and gave it a light squeeze. This act of kindness only lead more tears to escape down her face. How could she be so wrong about too many people? All the judgments she had thought accurate were all proven wrong.

The funeral ended and Hermione looked at Narcissa before the elder woman had engulfed her into an embrace. "I'm sorry for what my sister did to you in my home," Narcissa looked at Hermione with so much remorse in her eyes.

Hermione nodded her head showing that all was forgiven. "Don't blame you for what took place," Hermione croaked out.

Lucius Malfoy shook hands with Hermione briefly and her and Draco exchanged smiles before they had finally departed and went their separate ways.

She didn't immediately go and find Harry and the others as she told herself she would. She didn't go anywhere. She stood there and waited for everyone to leave, and the only people that were left were Hermione and the tombstone of Severus Snape. She conjured up a white rose and placed it on the tombstone.

"Thank you, Severus," she muttered aloud in hopes that he had heard her even in death. She wiped away the tear that had fallen and continued to stand in front of the tombstone for a while longer.

She didn't notice that there was a person standing on a few feet away staring at her in confusion and wonderment. She didn't notice that the same person had been watching her the whole time of the funeral.

Hermione whispered her final goodbye as she touched the tombstone before turning the other direction and apparating to the Burrow. She was instantly greeted by a swarm of people with worried and angry facial expressions.

"Hermione, where have you been? I tried looking for you at the funeral, but I couldn't find you anywhere." Harry asked in a distraught manner while suffocating her.

"Harry… can't… breathe." Hermione gasped out, and he reluctantly released her. She caught her breath before speaking again. "I… uh… stayed behind to pay my respects… in private…" she spoke slowly as she explained to everyone who was listening and looked down at the ground like there was something interesting there instead of at their faces.

"Why didn't you sit with us? Where did you sit anyway?" Ginny asked in the midst of everyone understanding Hermione's disappearance.

"I wanted to sit in the back, and you guys were sitting too close to the front…" Hermione spoke, slowly thinking of her answer carefully. "I sat in the very last row of chairs." Hermione was hesitant to mention anything about the Malfoy's because nobody in this house are particularly fond of them. It would be kind of hard to explain why Hermione Granger, known Muggle-born, was sitting beside the Malfoy's, known Death Eaters. Well, she sat beside them unknowingly, at first, but she could have easily moved, but she decided to stay where she had chosen.

Before Hermione was able to attempt to explain any further, Ginny began to speak again.

"You must have seen the Malfoy's then. They had no right to be up there at the funeral," Ginny seethed out. "I wanted to hex the lot of them."

Hermione was taken aback by Ginny's outburst. She wasn't sure she wanted to the answer the question, but she did. "Yeah, I saw them."

She wasn't dense enough to mention the fact that she had sat right beside them, and how Narcissa Malfoy and she wept together and held hands, or how she shook hands with Lucius Malfoy and remained civil with Draco. That would surely cause many problems, so she didn't speak about it.

"You didn't get angry?" she asked quizzically.

"No?" Hermione said in a sort of a question slash statement.

Everyone looked at her urging her to explain her reasoning.

"They wanted to show respect to someone they knew. Who am I to refuse that right to them?" Hermione finished in a matter-of-fact tone she was famously known for, but everyone looked at her like she had just sprung a second head.

They had begun a very heated debate about the rights the Malfoy's held. Hermione chose to tune out their voices and tried to focus on her own reverie about the Malfoys. Her brain racked out many possible reasons as to why they were being nice to her, but none of them seemed to have made any sense in the slightest to her weakened state of mind.

She had been feeling overly emotionally drained from her lack of sleep and energy. She had barely eaten anything in the last few days. She just wasn't feeling hungry. Even when she was sitting at the table with all the Weasley's as they ate, she barely stacked her plate with food, and even then she merely moved her food around her plate and ate the little amount occasionally.

By now Hermione couldn't think coherently enough to save her life. She needed sleep and lots of it.

Hermione was beginning to get irritated with all the noise that was surrounding her. She couldn't handle being around anyone anymore. She decided that it was time for her to go bed. "Guys," she spoke getting everyone's attention. "I'm going to bed. I'm not feeling very well." She smiled at the faces around her, and she made her way towards the room her and Ginny had shared since they were young girls.

When she finally reached the room, her knees decided to use this time to buckle from underneath her; her body had yet to break down, and after what happened at the funeral, her body had finally decided to break. She made it to her makeshift bed on the floor and crawled into a knot trying to think of nothing at all, but the facial expression Snape had on his face right before he died had been embedded into her conscious, and it wouldn't disappear.

She needed to get away from all the familiars that surrounded her. Right before she fell asleep, she made the conscious decision to leave England and go to Australia to look for her parents and try to revive their memories. She need an escape, and she was determined to go alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** If I owned the characters, I would not be living off my parents.

Alright, I want to thank everyone who has followed/favourited/reviewed this. You guys are awesome and I love you all.  
I will be updating next week more than likely. I have to do research for my research paper due in March, and I won't have time to do any creative writing, which makes me sad. I'm sorry if I take too long for your liking. I promise to get it in soon. :-)  
READ AND REVIEW

xxLK

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**Chapter 2**

"Hermione, are you even listening to anything I say?" Hermione's glazed look disappeared and she looked forward to see Ron looking right at her.

All the Weasley's, including Harry and Hermione, were gathered around in the living room. It was a bit crowded, but they all made it work. Some sat on the floor, others were lucky enough to find a seat. Hermione wasn't that lucky. She was one of the last people up this morning causing her to miss breakfast and a good seat in the living room. When she said she needed sleep yesterday, she really meant it.

"Hmmm," she shook her head from her thoughts and finally answered Ron's questions. "No. Sorry, Ron, I didn't hear what you said."

Ron looked at her a little concerned and she waved her hand dismissing the looks. "What were you saying?" she asked him to avoid his suffocating questions about her wellbeing.

"I was saying that we're all going to be testifying against the Death Eaters tomorrow. They're finally getting what they deserve." Ron spoke proudly of this fact.

Hermione knew that Ron was ready to act revenge on as many Death Eaters to avenge his brother's death, and Hermione didn't blame him for that. She would be feeling the same way had it been her parents that were killed by Death Eaters.

"And," Harry continued after Ron, "We're, well, I'm going to testify for the Malfoys."

Hermione looked up Harry when she heard this. This could be the perfect opportunity to help them, especially after what had occurred at the funeral. She honestly didn't want to see the Malfoys convicted. Lucius, maybe, for a little while at least, but not enough to cause any damage to him or the family. After their display at the final battle and the way they had treated her at the funeral, she didn't think they didn't deserve the same punishment as the rest.

"Can I testify for them, also?" she asked in a meek voice.

Everyone looked at her in confusion and others seemed a little upset that she would even think about doing that. She looked at all their faces and stopped at Ron's. His face had turned a slight tinge of a red hue from anger.

She didn't say anything else, but she could tell they wanted her to elaborate her reasoning, but she simply sat there, waiting patiently for someone to answer her question.

Arthur cleared his throat before speaking. "I don't see why not," he spoke, answering her question. "I'll send your name in for tomorrow."

Hermione smiled at the elder man as a gesture of thanking him. She turned her head and the smile faded when her eyes landed on Ron, who was seething with anger.

"What reasons do you have for supporting the Malfoys?" He spoke with venom and anger.

"They…" she didn't know if she wanted to tell them about the funeral just yet. They might not believe her. She wasn't even sure that she fully understood what took place there. It felt like the right thing to do though.

She could see that they had changed… or was it just an act? She shrugged internally at her own question and pushed those thoughts away and began to search her brain for some kind of answer to give them, but everything was just meshing together and not making any sense.

"Out with it, then. What exactly have they done to 'deserve' your help?" Ron urged her further to answer the question, and she finally said the first thing that came to her mind.

"They helped save Harry." She said quietly but loud enough for them to hear.

"Malfoy almost got us killed in the Room of Requirements at the battle! You can't seriously be forgiving that foul git."

"That was Crabbe, and Draco and Narcissa had helped," she spoke in her matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, I'm not saying I forgive them, Ron. I'm stating the facts on what I've experienced with their roles in the war. That's all and if that keeps them out of Azkaban, then that's what happens. I'm doing exactly what Harry is doing."

Ron glared in her direction, "I can't believe you. After everything he – they have done to you over the years. Tormenting you about your blood status and you're – you are just going to help them!"

She looked at him a little annoyed; her patience was running low. "I'm not helping them, per say. I'm stating the facts. Exactly like Harry." Hermione kept her calm demeanour, not allowing her voice to rise at Ron.

"She has a point," Harry spoke up before Ron could say anything damaging. "I don't want to see the Malfoys let off that easily just as much as you but by going by the facts, we won't know what the Wizengamot will do," he continued to speak in Hermione's favour while still playing into Ron's reasoning as well.

Hermione nodded her head, agreeing with what Harry said. "I just want it to be fair, is all."

They all knew her liking for fairness and equality towards a person or any living creator for that matter; even the ones who don't want her help.

"Bloody Hell, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, finally dropping the subject about the Malfoys.

They all sat there in silence for a while. No one was really sure what to say after the outburst about the Malfoys, but No one really spoke that much anymore to begin with. Hermione knew it was because of Fred's death. Not many of the Weasleys had fully come to terms with it.

Hermione contemplated when a good time would be to tell everyone about her voyage to Australia. Right now would definitely not be a good time, especially after her little debacle with Ron. It would probably anger them all once again.

"Lunch is ready, everyone!" Molly's voice rang out, slicing through the silence, and everyone's mind began to think of food and not the upcoming trials.

Lunch was a quiet affair and so was dinner.

The night time went by rather quickly as well, and it was the next day before much longer. The trials were on the horizon and everyone was feeling rather uneasy about the whole thing.

As the day progressed everybody began filling in seats around the room to watch the trials. Many Death Eaters were being brought in the room to be tried. The Wizengamot sat there and took notes of each testify for or against the Death Eaters. The results for each Death Eater would be spoken at the very end.

It was all rather unnerving watching how some squirmed or screamed out while being tried. The ones that really scared Hermione were the ones that showed no emotion. They seemed to have no feelings left to feel.

She was ready for it all to be over with. She had yet to see the Malfoy's trial, and she was a ball of nerves because she was going to be called down there to testify. She didn't expect people to understand why; hell, she didn't even understand why herself.

"Bring in the Malfoy Family!" Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice boomed out through the room and the Malfoys made their way inside.

Many boos were echoed as they walked to their chairs. Hermione watched them closely. They had chains on the hands and feet, and they were covered in dirt and grime from being held in a cell for a short period of time awaiting their trial. They far from their aristocratic look they had once held.

"How do you find yourselves?" Kingsley asked them.

"Not guilty." Lucius Malfoy answered for all three.

"Alright, let's bring Harry Potter down here."

Harry made his way to the front and he spoke for the Malfoys. He told the Wizengamot about how Draco lowered his wand and couldn't kill Dumbledore – even though he would have been killed for not obeying orders. He also mentioned how Draco didn't directly identify them in the Malfoy manner when they were captured by the snatchers and brought to his home. He talked about what happened in the Forbidden Forest during the battle; how Narcissa Malfoy lied to Voldemort about him being dead.

Hermione had begun to shake a little as Harry finished speaking for the Malfoys. She knew they would call her name next. She let out a shaky breath and waited for her name to be called.

"Miss Hermione Granger has requested to vouch for the Malfoy Family. She will come forth and explain her reasoning."

Hermione stood up and began to make her way down. She met the gaze of each of the Malfoys for a brief moment. She was going to turn away but her eyes locked with Draco's for a few fleeting seconds.

"Miss Granger," she turned her head towards Kingsley and the Wizengamot after hearing her name. "Do you swear to tell the truth?"

Hermione nodded her head agreeing to the question and waited for the interrogation to begin.

After a series of yes or no questions, the Wizengamot began asking the more personal questions. That's when Hermione began to feel the nerves eat at her stomach again.

"Why are you helping them, Miss Granger?"

She stood there contemplating her answer. She had yet to tell anyone about what happened at the funeral. This could either hurt them or save them; she was hoping for the later.

"They – I sat beside them at Severus Snape's funeral, unintentional at first, but I didn't move. As the funeral continued Narcissa Malfoy had gotten up and sat beside me and helped comfort me. After the funeral had ended, both Lucius and Draco had remained civil with me. They didn't say any snarky remark about my blood." Hermione stopped talking and looked at the Malfoys for a brief moment, noticing the bewilderment on their faces, before continuing to speak about them. "That is why I am here standing before you vouching for the Malfoys. I think it's clear to see that this war has changed them."

"But weren't you tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange in the Malfoy home?" Another person asked.

Hermione visibly flinched at the name. It wasn't something she liked to remember. She had yet to come to terms with what happened there. She didn't really get that much time to think about it when she was on the run with Harry and Ron.

She let a soft sigh and nodded her head, "Yes, I was tortured there."

"Did the Malfoys do anything to try and stop what was being done in their home?"

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the Malfoys, but their faces were toward the floor. She turned her head back to the front.

"No," she said truthfully.

Hermione didn't want the trial to be affected by this, so she quickly continued before another question could be asked. "If they had done anything to keep me from being tortured, they might have been killed and I…"

She stopped talking and looked over her shoulder again to see the Malfoys finally looking up at her. She looked forward once again and locked her eyes with the members of the Wizengamot.

"I would have reacted the same way in their position." Hermione spoke in a stronger tone. Loud gasps reached her ears after they had begun to erupt around the room.

"Thank you Miss Granger." One of the members said before all of the Wizengamot members left to deliberate everything that they had heard.

Hermione made her way to leave. She knew that this process would take a while, and she didn't want to be here anymore. She couldn't even look at the other occupants in the room. She could imagine their faces right and didn't particularly want to see them. She didn't regret saying what she had; she just knew that many people wouldn't be happy with her.

Before she could leave Ginny walked up to her with a sour look on her face. "Why didn't you say anything about what happened at the funeral before now?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and went to turn in the other direction, but she came face to face with an angry Ron.

"What the bloody hell was that shite back there?" he practically yelled at her with his arms raised, anger evident on his face.

"Watch your language, Ronald," she spoke ignoring his inquiry.

"No, answer the bloody question! Why did you say you would have acted the same way as those cowards?" Ron seethed at her, and she was, for the first time, scared by his anger.

"I might have acted the same way, if my life and my family's life were at risk of death. You never know," she finally spoke.

"You're right, Hermione." Harry made his way up to them. "You have no clue how you would have reacted had you been in their shoes."

Harry let out a sigh and furrowed his brow in concentration before he spoke again.

"You might have just cost the Malfoys this trial by your second-hand guesses."

Hermione hadn't thought about that while she was being questioned. She usually wasn't as irrational as she was back there. She had been feeling utterly lost since the war ended. That's all she had known since her first year at Hogwarts, and now that it's over, she had no clue what she wanted to do. She always thought she knew what she had wanted to do with her life. The whole save the House-Elves act she had going for the longest time, but everything had gotten jumbled up together. Lies made in the dark were finally being brought to the light, and everything she had once known didn't seem all that important anymore.

"Well, we won't know until the results," she said defiantly.

She looked at Harry and Ron and let out a sigh before smiling at the two boys and bringing them into a hug.

"Hermione?" she backed up and looked at Harry.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Everything will be okay, I promise."

"I know, Harry. I know." She smiled up at Harry as she spoke.

"Let's go find seats together and wait for the results."

Hermione nodded her head and followed close behind Harry and Ron, wishing she could do nothing but turn around and walk far, far away from this place. It's not that she didn't want to see the results, she did, but she didn't want to be around if the Malfoys got convicted for her stupidity.

"Hermione?" she looked up and saw Ron looking down at her. She continued to stare at him until he began to speak again.

"I'm sorry for being so rude. I just hate them for what they've done to you over the years. I don't understand how you can forgive them for that."

Hermione gave him a soft smile and thanked him for apologizing but it seemed rather futile to try and explain her reasoning for helping the Malfoys. She didn't forgive them, far from it actually, she merely didn't think they deserved the same punishment as the other Death Eaters.

Hermione sat down when the trio found three empty seats, and they waited for the results together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I am a lowly peasant compared to the queen, J.K. Rowling.

I made the time to write chapter 3 today. It's basically all I've been doing, aside from doing my research paper on the sidelines.  
All the reviews and followers are awesome and I love you guys.

Read and Review

xxLK

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**Chapter 3**

A few hours later the Wizengamot came back into the room with the results. Hermione sat there on the edge of her seat waiting for the Malfoy name to be called.

"Hermione, will you sit back. I can't see anything."

Hermione turned her head to stare at Ron. "Sorry, Ron," she spoke as she sat back.

They began to call out the names of all the Death Eaters and calling out their sentence. Most, if not all, got a life sentence. There were the select few that got graced with the Kiss. I don't know which is better: living your life with all emotions eating at you as you rot in a prison cell, or having to live your life not being able to have any emotions.

"When I call your names please rise."

Hermione knew they were about to call the Malfoy's name.

"Mister Lucius Malfoy, Mistress Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, and Mister Draco Malfoy."

All three rose to their feet and waited for the results.

"The Wizengamot has declared that the Malfoys have been cleared of all charges with the participation with, 'He Must Not Be Named' for their numerous times of defying his orders, and for their participation in the Battle of Hogwarts."

There were shouts of disapproval filling the room. Hermione looked around and noticed many people sitting in their seats in pure shock, not being able to believe what they had just heard. Even Hermione, herself, had a hard time comprehending what was just said by the Wizengamot. She couldn't help but feel it was because of what she said that they were able to go free, but it was probably because of her and Harry's words.

She looked over to where the Malfoys were standing, hugging each other, and Narcissa was smiling with tears streaking her face from joy. Narcissa caught sight of the bushy-haired girl and lipped a quick "thank you" in her direction.

Hermione smiled slightly and sent a quick nod in her direction before she started to make her way out of the room and away from the commotion that had begun to erupt.

She had lost sight of all the Weasleys and Harry when she made her way to the floo network. She looked down the walk way before reaching the ministries floo network. She saw a black figure staring at her. "It couldn't be him," she said aloud to herself, and she paled drastically. Hermione quickly grabbed floo powder and flooed herself to the Burrow. At arrival she was greeted by disapproval looks coming from Ginny, Molly, Ron, and Harry. She chewed on her bottom lip as she walked out of fireplace and brushed the suet off her person.

"Mind telling us what you were thinking?" Ron said with a quirked eyebrow.

"I wasn't," Hermione spoke honestly.

"How could you say… wait, what?" Ron looked at her confused, her answer catching everyone off guard.

Hermione wasn't one for not thinking. She usually didn't act on impulse, always analysing and reanalysing the situation before finally making her move on it. It was just who she was as a person, but the war changed her. She still wasn't sure if it was for better or not. Maybe it was time to tell them that she was going to be going to Australia. Maybe it was to find her parents or maybe it was to find her, as a person, again, and just happen to find her parents in the process. She hadn't quit decided yet.

"I wasn't thinking. I haven't been thinking lately, at all." Hermione spoke these words in exhaustion. "I'm leaving," she said this as the found a nice comfy spot on the couch and waited for the shouts of disapproval that never came.

"What do you mean you are leaving? Where would you go? Your parents aren't around anymore." Molly asked with concern and worry.

"You're right, my parents aren't around," she sighed and smiled up at Molly. "That's why I am going to Australia to find them and bring them back."

Molly began to get teary eyed and smiled down at the girl before going into the kitchen and cooking. That's really all the elder woman did lately was cook, even when no purpose in it.

"Hermione, are you serious?" she heard Ron huff out.

"Yes, Ron. I need my parents back," she spoke rather annoyed. His dramatics were beginning to grind at her nerves. There was only so much she could take of it. She was feeling on edge, which she didn't even understand why, but if he continued like that, she was liable to ring his neck. Hermione took a few calming breaths and looked at both Harry and Ron.

"I need to do this alone. I got myself into this mess; I need to get myself out. I just – if the spell is irreversible, I don't want you guys to see when I break down."

"But that's what we are here for, Hermione." Harry spoke gently as he sat beside Hermione and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "We are here to make sure you are okay, and be there for you when days get tough."

Hermione smiled at Harry. "I know that, but I just think it is best that I do this alone."

Ron let out a loud sigh and slumped on the couch on the other side of Hermione. "When do you plan on leaving? I thought we, you know, were going to…" Ron's face had turned a tinge of red that challenged the Weasley's famous hair colour as everyone sat there waiting for Ron to finish his statement. He looked around the room and looked at Hermione before he began to mumble, causing all his words to run together in an incoherent speed, "date because of the kiss between us in the Chamber of Secrets during the battle."

Hermione smiled at the boy and wrapped her arms around him. "My parents are my main concern right now, Ron, but I promise the minute I get back, we can discuss all of that. I'll be back before you even get the chance to miss me."

Hermione gave him a soft peck on the cheek and stood up from the couch. She looked down at the boys and noticed their not so happy looks. "I'll be leaving tomorrow, so you guys better be throwing me one hell of a going away party tonight, and you better not pout either," she laughed lightly and it released the tension in the room tenfold.

They began to laugh with her, and Harry got up pulling Hermione in a brotherly hug and kissing her on the forehead. It brought memories of them dancing in the tent when Ron ran off. It brought a smile to her face. She looked at Harry, who was smiling as well, and she knew that he was thinking the same thing.

The night continued gracefully. They actually did throw her a going away party. Hermione would be sad to see them go, but it seemed like the right thing to so for herself. She didn't know if she was making a mistake, but for once, she didn't try to analyse a damn thing, and it felt nice.

"Psst, Hermione, are you awake?"

Hermione decided to sleep in the bed with Ginny instead of sleeping on her make-shift bed on the floor. She needed her rest, if she was going to be leaving for Australia tomorrow. She opened one of her eyelids and turned on her side and was instantly face to face with her red-headed friend. "Now I am, no thanks to you."

"Oh good, as long as you're up," she spoke with a cheeky grin.

"What do you need?" Hermione asked groggily.

"Did you and Ron really kiss at the battle?" she asked with a giggle of excitement.

"Yes, now let me sleep?"

Ginny ignored her command and continued on, "Are you two going to date? Do you know how fun it would be to finally have a sister?" she squealed and sat up from her previous lying position. "Hermione, we could be sisters!"

Hermione was royally annoyed at this point. All she wanted to do was sleep. She let out a small sigh and sat up with the girl. "I don't know yet. To be honest, I haven't even thought about the kiss since it happened. Although, finally having a sister would be a plus." Hermione smiled at the younger girl. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to sleep."

Ginny nodded her head at the sleepy girl next to her and laid back down, "Goodnight, Hermione."

Hermione let out a relieved sigh and laid back down as well, "Night, Ginny."

There were no more interruptions the rest of the night, but it was a different story once morning began to change night into day.

Hermione groaned as she smacked the wooden floor, not having enough time to put her hands out in order to fully brace herself for the impact. She ended up landing flat on her stomach. Well, that was a pleasant way to wake up. At least her loud wake-up call hadn't waked the other occupant in the room with her. That would probably lead to a lot of questions that would probably be awkward to answer. Her fingers tapped lightly against the wooden floor boards, her mind drifted as she thought about all the things she needed to do today, which when she thought about it, wasn't much at all. She had already packed a few nights ago, knowing that she would be leaving the Weasleys behind. They just hadn't noticed that she had done that. All she really had left to do was apparate to Australia.

Hermione slowly pushed herself off the floor, grabbing her beaded bag that she had used while on the run with Harry and Ron, and began to make her way downstairs. She wanted to at least have one last meal by Molly.

She could smell the foods aroma from the top of the stairs, and she quickly made her way down. "Good morning, Mrs Weasley," Hermione greeted Molly pleasantly as she sat down and began to eat her meal.

As she ate, she looked out the kitchen window and saw the sun was beating down on the ground outside. She could assume that it was going to be a warm day, and it was perfect weather to start wearing her summer clothes. Hermione made her way back upstairs to get ready for her departure, after she had finished eating. She needed to shower and get dressed out of her sleep clothes from last night.

She emerged from the bathroom an hour later, and began to descend the stairs. When she arrived in the kitchen once again, the whole of the Weasley clan and Harry were sitting at the table stuffing their faces with food. "Good morning, everyone," she said rather cheerfully and sat down between Ron and Harry.

She got many grumbled good mornings and hellos from the people scorching down their food without breathing, or it seemed as if that was how they were eating. She patiently waited for the others to finish before exacting her plan on them.

Hermione was longer paying attention to anything or anyone, and she hadn't noticed that majority of occupants in the house had finished and left the table, leaving only Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the table.

"So, you are leaving soon?" Harry asked as he pointed to the bag that was hanging on the side of the chair, waiting for Hermione to grab and go.

She nodded her head, answering the question but remained quiet.

"That's it. We get a nod and then you leave?" Ron spoke with anger rising in his chest.

"No, Ron, I'm not that heartless. What do you expect me to say?" she asked confused by his anger.

"I expect you to say you'll miss us, Harry… me - that you'll miss me." He stood up from his seat half-hazard almost knocking it to the floor.

Hermione followed suit more gently and walked over to where Ron was standing, and she placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Of course I will miss you, Ron. I might even miss you the most." She smiled at him as he turned in her direction and gave her a goofy grin, approving of her answer.

He pulled Hermione into a tight hug and then placed an innocent kiss on her lips. She returned it with a small peck and released herself from him.

Harry was watching from afar, no one noticed her sudden drawback except him, and it concerned the raven-haired boy far too much to let it go quickly.

"Let me go tell everyone bye."

Hermione walked her way into the living room where everyone was gathered, and she went around the room telling everyone individually goodbye. When she finished, she went back into the kitchen, grabbed her beaded bag, and walked out the back door without a second thought. She said goodbye to Harry and Ron once more.

"I promise to write you every day," she said as she hugged Harry and held back to tears that were threatening to spill over onto her face.

"You better," he said before kissing her lightly on the forehead. "I'd have to apparate to Australia and force you, if you don't."

Hermione laughed at him half-heartily and moved to Ron to give him a hug.

When she was finished with all the sentimental goodbyes, she turned on her heel and apparated out of London and landed in Australia.


End file.
